About 4 weeks from today, ACL Fest takes over Zilker Park. Austin is represented throughout this year’s lineup, but these are the six local artists I’d put on your schedule if alternative, indie and guitar-driven music is your jam. I know some of these set times are earlier in the day, but a great way to catch local talent all in one place!
A few of these artists have already been featured here, and hopefully with a few more Q&As on the way. Use this as a quick weekend guide: when to catch them, who they might remind you of and one song to start with before you get to Zilker.
Friday, October 2 The 4411
12:45 PM • Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
RIYL: The Strokes • The Backseat Lovers • The Paper Kites
Start with: “Oak Trees”
Austin indie rock built on big guitars, vulnerable vocals and the feeling of trying to hold onto a moment before it disappears. Their nostalgic guitar rock feels ready for a much bigger hometown crowd.
Read full feature on The 4411 → Click Here
NIGHT TRAVELER
2:00 PM • BeatBox Stage
RIYL: The War On Drugs • The Paper Kites • Local Natives
Start with: "Honey"
NIGHT TRAVELER bring a cinematic, atmospheric quality to guitar-driven alternative music, with the kind of songs that can feel equally at home on a late-night drive or a much bigger stage. Their 2026 Austin momentum makes this one of the hometown sets I’m especially interested in seeing.
Elijah Delgado
2:00 PM • Snapchat Stage
RIYL: Gigi Perez • Bon Iver • Novo Amor
Start with: “Talk”
A gifted storyteller with an atmospheric indie-rock sound and musical composition that feels unusually accomplished this early in his career. I’m genuinely surprised he doesn’t already have a bigger following, and hopefully ACL helps change that.
Schedule note: Elijah Delgado and NIGHT TRAVELER play at the same time, which will be a hard decision to make at 2 PM.
Read Q&A with Elijah Delgado → Click Here
Grocery Bag
5:15 PM • BMI Stage
RIYL: Hole • L7 • Wolf Alice
Start with: “DEADVOLT”
Grocery Bag bring a frenetic mix of grunge, punk, psychedelia and shoegaze that feels made for a festival stage. That 5:15 Friday slot gives one of Austin’s own a great opportunity to catch people moving toward the bigger evening sets.
Read full Grocery Bag feature → Click Here
WEEKEND TWO
Friday, October 9 Almost Heaven
12:45 PM • Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
RIYL: The Postal Service • MGMT • LCD Soundsystem
Start with: “oscillation”
Post-punk tension, indie-dance momentum and hazy electronic pop from an Austin duo whose two-person live setup sounds much bigger than you’d expect.
Saturday, October 10 Montclair
12:45 PM • Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage
RIYL: Briscoe • Shakey Graves • The Districts
Start with: “Pastel Lies”
Warm guitars, a breezy surf-rock groove and indie-folk roots give Montclair an easygoing sound without making it feel sleepy. “Pastel Lies” is the kind of song that gets into your head almost immediately.
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